MALKY MACKAY is staying in constant contact with Robert Earnshaw after the Cardiff City striker spoke of his fears at finding himself in the middle of a war zone.

MALKY MACKAY is staying in constant contact with Robert Earnshaw after the Cardiff City striker spoke of his fears at finding himself in the middle of a war zone.

And Bluebirds boss Mackay maintained is prepared to pull Earnshaw out of his loan deal in Israel should the club, player or situation dictate.

Wales frontman Earnshaw is currently midway through a season-long stay at Maccabi Tel Aviv where the 31-year-old had planned to try and revive his goalscoring form.

But despite the Bluebirds fan favourite enjoying his footballing experience, he has spoken of the concerns for his safety after the escalating Middle East crisis saw a barrage of air strikes on his current home.

Earnshaw has explained how missile interceptors - a system known as Iron Dome - have stopped strikes hitting near his home and work base Tel Aviv as Hamas and Israel trade blows.

But now Mackay has made it clear he will cut short Earnshaw’s loan spell if either the club, or the player, begin to feel uncomfortable with the danger of the situation.

Mackay claimed to be in regular dialogue with the former Forest star’s representatives, including former Cardiff Academy Director Lee Robinson.

“If there’s any risk to his safety or security whatsoever then he comes back,” said Mackay of the striker, signed by Cardiff on a free last year. “We’ve been monitoring things and if he feels at all like there’s the possibility he’s beginning to feel unsafe or he doesn’t want to be there then he immediately comes back.

“There’s absolutely no issue with it, he’s my player and we want his safety and make sure he’s well looked after.”

Earnshaw, currently injured with a hamstring injury, had seen his playing chances at Cardiff dwindle under Mackay before his loan switch in the last transfer window.

And he stressed earlier this week that he was content to carry on in Israel – where he figures under Maccabi sporting director Jordi Cruyff – unless the situation worsens.

“It has been a very strange and uncomfortable few days,” Earnshaw said. “These raids have taken us all by surprise. Tel Aviv is normally a great place to live with a great lifestyle outside of football.

“I have been really enjoying my time here, but if I ever felt that myself, or my family, was in any danger I would have to reconsider things.”

“But unless something major happens, I still want to play my football out here. I do miss Cardiff, but we are top of the league and I want to see us get into Europe.”

Earnshaw will know that, despite his popularity with supporters, he would struggle to break into a frontline favoured by Mackay and recently beefed by the return to action of Craig Bellamy, back as a substitute in the win over Middlesbrough and a possible option to start against Barnsley on Saturday.

Another City forward has also taken the chance to go out on loan, youngster Nat Jarvis joining Blue Square Premier side Forest Green in a two-month deal.

Jarvis had made just one Bluebirds appearance this season - coming in the League Cup defeat to Northampton - before agreeing to the move to Newport County’s rivals at the top of the non-league pyramid.

Meanwhile, Cardiff’s weekend hosts have made a forward addition of their own ahead of Saturday’s clash after signing Emilie Sinclair from Peterbor

ough.

And now Keith Hill is ready to make further loan swoops to bolster his Barnsley side before facing the Bluebirds.

The Tykes boss has admitted he is keen to add extra quality to his squad before taking on promotion-chasing City, having already seen the benefits of a dip into the loan market with the recruitment of Forest striker Marcus Tudgay.

Ex-Sheffield Wednesday hitman Tudgay made an immediate impact after providing the assist for fit-again forward Craig Davies, the Wales man’s goal snatching a point in Saturday’s draw at Bolton.

The Reebok result ended a run of four straight defeats for the Yorkshire side and now Hill is keen to build upon the performance.

Hill, a former Wrexham defender, has already been linked with moves for Brighton duo Will Hoskins and Ryan Harley.

And 24-year-old Sinclair - who hit a hat-trick against Hull earlier this term - is eligible to face Cardiff having been left on the transfer list by Posh following a breach of club discipline.

But the Oakwell chief has stressed he is considering plenty of options before Mackay’s men look to get their away form off the ground come the trip north, despite the club’s attempts to be frugal with their finances with Football League ‘fair play’ rules in mind.

“Recruitment is key for us” said Hill, whose side are only two places and three points above the relegation zone. “It’s brilliant; I’ve been told I’ve got money to bring players in. It will protect me, there’s no doubt about that.

“We’re trying to plan to break-even financially and we’re trying to plan for the future, but in a Championship that is so ruthless financially you’ve got to be able to recruit.

“Money gets you results. But what we’re trying to do is the knight in shining armour: here we come on our horse trying to save the financial football world! However that can’t be achieved over night.”

“I definitely want more recruitments, I want to work with real quality. I want to develop that quality, but time isn’t on your side as a football manager.

“All I keep doing is hearing myself talking about the future. But I want to talk about Keith Hill’s future now.”

On the possibility of ex-Watford striker Hoskins and one-time Swansea midfielder Harley arriving, Hill added: “Those players are possibilities but I have a long list and I will go through target A, B, C until I get the right players.

“They are just names that have got out into the public domain but that does not mean I will sign them.”

As for Tudgay’s impact, goalkeeper Luke Steele – a veteran of Cardiff’s 2008 FA Cup semi-final win over the Tykes – hailed his first showing where he linked well with Davies, the striker’s ninth goal in his 14th game of the season pushing again his claim s for an international place.

“I think Marcus was outstanding,” said Steele. “Not just his contribution at the top but his heading ability at the back. For a relatively small guy, he reminds me of Kevin Phillips the way he springs up off the ground.

“Craig (Davies) and Marucs did a great job. Our Manager wants them to do more than just score goals. It’s a good debut and I’m pleased to see Davo (Craig Davies) back as well.

“It was a good point for us at Bolton. In the first half we played some good football. We were testing their keeper which we haven’t been doing in the past three games. We fell behind and that could have got our spirits down but it didn’t. We got a lift from the gaffer at half time and we deserved the point in the end.”

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